Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-07-31
TRYING TO CAPTURE cARLoTTA.
a Mexican Generals story Of His At
tempt to Take the Empress prisone'.

a Mexican Generals starry of His At.
tempt to Take the Empress Priso"e'.
In 1873 ! was coming from the City of
Mexico TO FL Paso, Tex, and 10y chancel
met Gen. Aurellano, who is now a menu
Der of the national congress in the City
of Mexico. We began to talk OF the I'M
provements of the country and on other
topics. When we passed the City Of
Queretaro, where Macmillan was made
prisoner, | mentioned the incident about
the Empress Carlotta in 1865, and he
said: '.Yes, it was | who made the at
tempt to capture her." ''Will you ex-
plain to me how it was, and what your
intentions were, general?' "Ies, he
answered. .'You may remember, he
said, 1.-THE decree of Oct. 3, 1865. issued
ty Macmillan and his ministers, and
which read: Every Mexican caught with
any weapon in his hands shall be consid-
cred as a bandit and shall be executed
Immediately 1t is said that Macmillan
himself was opposed to this decree, but,
Influenced by Bazaine and the Empress
Carlotta, vas compelled to issue it. Now,
by this merciless law we lost the brayest
of our soldiers and the best of our generals.
..In May Of 1866 the well known and
perhaps the best Of our guerrilleros,
Nicolas Romero, was taken prisoner in
Jalisco and brought to the City Of
Mexico, where, together with Others. he
was to be shot on the 9th of June. | had
o great regard for this man, brave in hat
tie and merciful with his prisoners, and !
resolved. at the risk Of my life, TO save
him. was commanding 1000 men,; my
headquarters was the Mount of San Juan,
which YOU know is not far from the
capital; | chose sixty of my bravest men,
and, favored by the darkness of the night
of the 5th of June, / led them through
the forests Of the road connecting the
castle of Chapultepec with the capital; l
hid my men and myself in a small river
along the road; / knew the empress had
to pass between the hours of @ and Z in
the morning, as she was accustomed to
take a ride every morning at that hour
from the city to the castle. My intention
was to capture her, and by doing that |
was sure to rescue my great friend. l
also knew she had with her ten or twelve
men, but / had six times that number,
and what gave me confidence was they
did not expect such an attack.
Il waited. The hour came. and
said TO nv soldiers: Don't hurt the
woman on a white horse, but Try to cap
ture her. Just then Charlotte came in
sight, and with the cry to my men,
For Mexico.' we sprang TO the bed of
the road, and a hand in hand struggle
ut once began. The empress, to my sur.
prise, instead of fleeing toward the castle,
as | expected she would, turned to the
city. | followed her cloSely-yery closely.
was about to catch the tail of her
horse, but by that time | was at the gate
Of the city, and before 200 or more
French soldiers. who were thunderstrucB
at the sight Of their empress passing like
lightning between them. The captain
commanding this body Of soldiers was
Boulanger, ! took advantage Of theii
surprise and returned 10 my men. The
empress owed her life to the beautiful
mare. Indeed, that mare beat my horst
and saved her mistress. When ] reached
the place where my men were, all the
French soldiers with the exception Of
one, the captain, were lying on the road,
some killed, others wounded, and q
woman was lying also on a zarape Of
one of my soldiers. ! told the captain t
take care Of his companions and III,
woman, and ordered my soldiers to re
treat to the Mount Of San Juan. wa.
unsuccessful, but ever now l feel con
scious of having done all in my power t
rescue a dear friend"
The general was so affected that | die
not press the subject any further
c. Olivares in Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette.